Uber begins its appeal against London licence loss
UBER has begun its appeal against Transport for London's decision to deny it a new operating licence in the capital.
The ride hailing app has filed documents at Westminster Magistrates' Court today opposing the ruling, but no formal hearing will take place.
Uber was required to begin its appeal by today or it would not be allowed to continue operating in London.
Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew the firm's licence last month on the grounds of "public safety and security implications".
Uber's new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi met transport commissioner Mike Brown last week to discuss the firm's future in the capital.
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The talks were described by both sides as "constructive".
TfL has a number of concerns about Uber, including its approach to reporting serious criminal offences, how drivers' medical certificates are obtained, how criminal record checks are carried out, and its use of technology which allegedly helps it to evade law enforcement officials.
The app enables users to book cars using their smartphones and is available in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK.
Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the service in London, according to Uber.
Mr Khosrowshahi took over at Uber in August after predecessor Travis Kalanick resigned following a series of scandals.
The new boss has apologised for "the mistakes we've made" and accepted that the company had "got things wrong".
Uber will challenge the licence decision "with the knowledge that we must also change", he said.
More than 850,000 people have signed an online petition launched by Uber, urging TfL to reverse its ruling.